1 dead, 2 injured during tailgating crash before Harvard-Yale game

The driver of a U-Haul vehicle that struck three women is speaking with police in New Haven, Connecticut.

Story highlights

Moment of silence is observed during half-time of rivalry game

Yale says one of the injured is a student there

The driver of a U-Haul lost control and ran into 3 women

The accident occurred during tailgating outside Yale Bowl

One woman was killed and two others injured Saturday after a U-Haul van crashed into them outside Yale University's football stadium before the game against Harvard, authorities said.

The driver of the van lost control of the vehicle as he was pulling into Lot D of Yale Bowl's main parking area and the vehicle suddenly accelerated, striking the women and then crashing into other vehicles, said New Haven Police spokesman Dave Hartman.

The incident happened an hour and 45 minutes after the parking lot opened for tailgating at about 8 a.m., police said. No charges had been filed by late Saturday.

One woman was pronounced dead at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where one of the other women is in serious but stable condition, Hartman said. The third woman was taken to another hospital to be treated for minor injuries, police said.

In a statement, Yale said the deceased woman was not one of its students and was not believed to be affiliated with Harvard. The woman in stable condition does attend Yale.

The university said it would perform a full review of policies relating to tailgating before athletics events.

"Yale extends our sympathies and prayers to the family of the woman who was killed and hopes for the speedy recovery of the two women hurt," the university said. "Our thoughts are also with those who witnessed or were affected by this tragic accident."

The game, which Harvard won, kicked off at noon in New Haven, Connecticut. It was the 128th game of the rivalry. A moment of silence was held at the beginning of half time, according to the Yale Daily News, the college newspaper.

The driver of the U-Haul van was speaking with New Haven Police investigators, and the cause of the accident was still under investigation, Hartman said.